Custard Glass

Custard glass definition now includes color

Custard glass usually is the color of egg custard, but collectors have added to the definition and now identify some glass as blue custard, custard with nutmeg stain and custard with painted roses or other decorations.

By: By Terry Kovel, INFORUM

Custard glass usually is the color of egg custard, but collectors have added to the definition and now identify some glass as blue custard, custard with nutmeg stain and custard with painted roses or other decorations.

The original catalogs from the companies that made custard glass called it Ivorina Verde (Heisey), Ivory decorated (Jefferson Glass Co.) or ivory and gold (Northwood Glass Co.). But it is difficult to tell real custard glass from glass of a similar color.

Original custard glass was made in England about 1880. Most of the pieces were mugs, drinking glasses or novelties – small pieces like toothpick holders or match holders. Many pieces were made to be souvenirs, so event or town names were added to the decoration.

It was not until the 1890s that custard was made by Northwood Glass Co. of Indiana, Pa., the first maker in the United States. Northwood made some of the famous patterns collectors prefer today, including Inverted Fan & Feather and Chrysanthemum Sprig. The company used hand-painting, stains and gilding, and even produced “blue custard,” which was made using a different glass formula.

At least 10 other companies made custard glass before 1930, and a few are making it today. It is easy to tell if any cream-colored glass you come across really is genuine custard glass. Get a black light, shine it on the glass and look for the luminous glow caused by the uranium in real custard glass. A Geiger counter will click near real custard glass. But don’t worry. Little uranium was used, so the glass is not dangerous.

From Ebay

Custard Glass:  a category of glass.  Custard glass is a form of pressed opaque glass that varies in color from ivory to pale yellow to light green.  Beginning in the 1870's, glass companies added uranium sulphide to custard glass to tint it yellow, and thus old custard glass glows yellow-green under a black light.  The glass often was made with nutmeg (brown) coloring, goofus treatment, or gold enamel decoration.  Custard glass was invented in Bohemia in the 1870's, spread to Britain in the 1880's and was introduced to the United States in 1887 by the Dithridge Glass Co. of Pittsburgh.  The heyday of custard glass in America was from about 1896 to 1908, but by 1915 it had dwindled in popularity.  According to the Glass Encyclopedia, Northwood was the most successful producer of custard glass during this period, introducing an ivory variety decorated with gold enamel called  Louis VX (shown below).  Other prominent producers of early (1890-1915) American custard glass included Cambridge, Coudersport, Dugan & Diamond, Fenton, Fostoria, Imperial, Heisey, Jefferson, Tarentum, U.S. Glass, and (from 1915-1930) McKee.

From Justglassonline.com

Custard Glass – an opaque milk glass variation in colors varying from rich, creamy yellow to bone white with an opalescent finish; Uranium salts were added to batches used to produce antique custard glass, so that it will trigger a Geiger counter needle to move and also glows under a black light.